The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was becoming insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
The Co-founder of the Oodua People’s Congress said this in an open letter, dated September 10, 2024, he addressed to President Tinubu.
Adams, also the Founder of Oodua Progressive Union, which has presence in over 150 countries, said he wrote the letter on behalf of the more than 65 million Yoruba people of the South West, which include Edo, Delta, Kwara and Kogi States, and over 200 million people God created as Nigerians.
He said in the letter that despite being blessed by God in terms of natural and human resources, Nigerians have been disappointed by the management of the resources by past leaders.
He said: “When you came with the ‘Emilokan’ coinage in the build up to the 2023 elections, many Nigerians were persuaded that as a democrat exposed to modern way of governance, you will perform better than Muhammadu Buhari, a soldier who deepened the poverty levels of Nigerians and increased insecurity from 2015 to 2023.
“Today, events have proved that they were wrong.
“Mr.President, to say the truth without minding whose ox is gored, you have really disappointed many Nigerians who thought you were the messiah they were waiting for.
“The facts are there to speak for themselves.
“On May 29, 2023 when you became the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigerians, the price of a litre of fuel was less then N200.
“Today, it is more than N1000.
“As the Minister of Petroleum, I ask you, what type of reforms is this?
“In May 2023, Naira to a Dollar was less than N740.
“Today, it is more than N1,600.
“Now, your two right-hand men when you were Governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, Wale Edun (Finance Minister) and Yemi Cardoso (CBN Governor) are in charge of the economy.
“What exactly are the fiscal, economic and financial briefings they give you daily to convince you that they know what they are doing in those two offices?
“When Buhari left on May 29, 2023, many Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief that insecurity would soon become history.
“Pitiably today, from the North to the South, East to the West, the rate at which Nigerians are being abducted and some killed, even after ransom was paid, it was as if these blood-thirsty maniacs have just been unleashed on Nigerians from the hottest part of hell.
“As the Commander-in-Chief, the rising spate of insecurity across the country has put to question the kind of briefings you get on daily basis, especially, from the Inspector- General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, the Chief of Army Staff, General Taoreed Lagbaja, and other Security Chiefs on their modus operandi to send these killers to where they belong?….
“Obviously, your administration is becoming indifferent, insensitive and unresponsive to the plights of millions of Nigerians who can no longer meet their daily needs.
“This is a brutal assault on the sensibility of Nigerians.
“I think you and your party should be sensitive to the plights of Nigerians.
“Mr. President, don’t you think the wicked and draconian increase in fuel price, especially, at this time that Nigerians have been pushed to the wall, is a huge recipe for crisis?
“Nigerians can no longer bear this economic hardship any longer.
“I am writing this letter to you because of the pressure I am going through from millions of Nigerians, who erroneously, believe that I don’t want to tell you the truth because the two of us are eminent Yoruba citizens.
“The truth is that the perverted, opaque, unintelligible, wicked and corrupt handling of the petroleum sector and continuous increase of fuel price under your administration (with the NNPC threatening us the price will still go up) without due regard to the laws of the land and wellbeing of Nigerians is akin to telling Nigerians to go to hell.”
